(Scene Change) At the diner, the three are sitting at a booth. Sam, always the healthy one, sits eating a salad and has his laptop out. Dean and Mallory are both eating hamburgers, but instead of fries, Mallory has a stack of onion rings. Beside her is a leather notebook with old looking paper in it. Pictures and notes in various languages are written all over the pages.

"We didn't realize that there was a hunter already on this case. How'd you catch wind of it?"

"Well I haven't been back in the states for a while. I've been in Europe for the last several years, hunting there."

"How long have you been hunting?" Dean asked. "No offense, but you hardly look old enough to vote."

"I'm old enough," she replied flatly. "A hunter's life was just something that I accepted at an early age. I'm sure you two can attest to that."

"Fair enough," Sam intervened. "What brought you back to the states?"

"I had been working on a case in Serbia. I heard about this case and there were a lot of similarities; bodies with the heads chopped off, buried then dug up days later with their blood drained. I finished the job there and came straight here."

"So you fink there's a connection 'ere?" Dean asked him his mouth full.

Sam tried to hide his embarrassment, but Mallory didn't look bothered. "I do," she said excitedly. "It all goes back to an old urban legend in Serbia," She pointed to a section in her notebook. "Back in the 1700's there was a man, Arnold Paole, who was bit by a vampire. He eventually killed it and claimed that he was able to cure himself of the bite by eating some of the dirt from the vampire's grave and then bathing in its blood.

"That's a load of crap."

"Obviously. Someone had to take him down when it was clear that he wasn't cured. But like a lot of myths, things get blown out of context. Many people there still believe that you can cure yourself that way."

"So," Sam said processing his thoughts. "We might be dealing with someone who has some Serbian ancestry. They know the legend... They may be looking for one specific vampire."

"I'm guessing we're looking a vampire that is trying to cure itself. They don't know who turned them, that's why there's been a number of killings."

Dean leaned back in the seat. "Well that's a good start. It probably wouldn't be hanging around the nest getting cozy if it was looking for revenge. We can pick it up again tomorrow morning, see what our leads are then."

(Scene Change) They are outside of the diner, getting ready to leave.

"Hey Mallory," Sam said before she drove off. "You have a cell phone? So we can meet up somewhere tomorrow morning?"

"Oh I don't have a cell phone," she said bluntly.

"You've been hunting solo?" Dean asked, confused.

"Live free, die hard... or whatever it is. What hotel are you guys at? I can meet you there at eight."

"We're at The Leafy Lodge on Aspen street."

"See you then." She kicked off and left them in the parking lot.

(Scene Change) The brothers are back at their dingy motel, getting ready for bed. Dean is sitting on the bed, cleaning a pistol and Sam is at a table, still at his laptop.

"Mallory seems like an interesting character. I can't believe she's made it this long on her own. Sounds like she has nobody," Sam said, thinking out loud.

"She's a tough cookie, is what she seems like."

Sam laughed. "So are you done moping about the cafeteria incident?"

"Look," Dean said defensively, "I can appreciate a good hunter when I see one. She's obviously not a noob at this."

Sam dropped teasing Dean, but continued his original thought. "I just wish we knew more about her. I mean, it's great that she knew a lot more about the case than we did- that saved us a lot of research- but do we actually know any hunters that have ties outside of the united states?"

"Like it matters? Look, Sammy, monsters are everywhere. Some one's gotta clean up messes there too. Why are you being so weird about this?

"I don't know, something seems off to me."

"If it makes you feel better, we can make some phone calls, see if anyone has connections across the pond. Check her cred."

"I just don't want to have the wool pulled over our eyes. It wouldn't be the first time we've been duped by someone claiming to help us. We don't know the first thing about this girl."

"Yeah, I got it, Mr. Paranoid. We'll just have to watch our back until we know we can trust her. Would ya turn the light off by you, if you're not gonna use it."

Sam sighed and flipped the light off. He turned back to his computer, looking at a page of vampire legends. He browsed through a few different articles of different Serbian legends. One caught his eye and he clicked on the link. The title at the top read 'The Defender of Medvegja'. Sam creased his forehead and read through the article. He stopped when he saw a drawing depicting a woman holding up a head of a vampire. He heard Dean move in his bed and Sam quickly shut the laptop.

(Scene Change) It is eight in the morning, and the boys go outside to see if Mallory has gotten there yet. They find her sitting on the hood of the Impala, reading something.

"What are you doing on my baby?"

"Waiting. Donut?" She handed him the box.

"Ooh." He grabbed one greedily.

"Do any research last night?" She asked.

"Um, uh, no." Sam stuttered. "Just went home and hit the hay. What about you?"

"Me and sleep aren't the best of friends, so yeah, I found some stuff. I hacked into the town's public records, traced anyone with Serbian lineage and went from there. One lead stuck out to me, so I dug a little deeper." She showed them the paper she was reading. "Lana Dragovic; A widow here in town. She lives with her son, Darren. He's been in and out of jail a couple of times due to drugs. No one has seen him in a couple of weeks. Lana reported him missing. I figured that would be a good place to start."

"Nice work," Dean said, finishing off his second doughnut. "Let's go. Mallory, you can ride with us." They clambered into the Impala. And took off towards the address listed on the paper.

(Scene Change) They pulled up to a shabby house and got out of the car. When they reached the door, Sam and Dean pulled out their fake FBI badges, ready to flash them. A plump woman answered the door, barely opening it. When she saw the badges, she frantically started spouting off angry Serbian. The boys shared a confused look. The woman tries to shut the door on them, but Mallory catches it and holds it open.

"Cekati! (wait)" Mallory said to the woman. She kept talking to her in her in Serbian, eventually calming her down.

"She said she doesn't want feds in her house."

"Good, tell her we're fakes," Dean said, pushing his way into the house.

Mallory relayed the message back to the woman who now looked confused. She spoke to the woman while the boys inspected the house. Old furniture cluttered every room, but everything was in immaculate shape.

"There's no sign that her son even lives here... unless they're both into dollies. We need to check upstairs," Dean noted.

"Got it," Sam agreed and went back over to Mallory.

"Lana said that she thought Darren had gotten back into drugs right before he disappeared. She hasn't seen him since.."

"Do you think she's telling the truth."

Mallory looked back at the timid woman. "No."

"Hey guys!" They heard Dean yell from upstairs. The two left Lana looking lost behind them and bounded up the steps.

Sam and Mallory entered a long hallway; Dean stood at the end by an open door.

"Holy- what's that smell?" Sam asked, holding his nose.

They entered the room and saw the answer to his question. Dead animals were strewn across the bed and floor, blood was smeared on the walls. In the connecting bathroom, the tub was stained with blood and dirt.

"Well Darren definitely came home to see mommy dearest recently," Dean said.

"Yeah," Sam coughed, trying not to lose the doughnut he had eaten earlier.

"We need to talk to her again," Mallory stated. They raced downstairs to find Lana sitting in a chair crying. Mallory approached her carefully. "I'll ask if Darren knew about the legend. And see if she knows where he went." She talked to the sobbing woman, trying to get information from her. After a few minutes, she walked back over to the boys.

"He does know. He's been trying to find the vampire who turned him at the school, to fix it. I asked if he had fed on any humans. She said that he always brought home animals to feed on, but she wasn't sure about humans."

Dean nodded. "Darren knows where the nest is, but he wouldn't risk going in there. they'd kill him. He'd track them down individually... starting at the school. We need to go back."

"I've been at that school for three nights now, and haven't seen anything. The vampires aren't going there now because of him."

"How do you track down a vampire who doesn't want to be a vampire?" Sam asked. "When is the last time she saw Darren?"

Mallory turned to Lana, translating her message. "Early this morning... he said something about having no luck again.... he killed another vampire, to get more information.... he's going to the nest tonight for one last desperate attempt."

"Wait, there's another body? Where?"

Mallory asked Lana. "She doesn't know. It could be found soon though. What time is it?"

"A quarter to nine," Sam said, looking at his watch. "The grocery store opens at nine. That's where the other ones were found. The body could be there right now."

"Doesn't do us a whole lot of good. We still don't know where the nest is."

"Damnit!" Dean trudged out of the house. Mallory spoke to Lana one more time before following him outside.

"Hey wait! I asked her if she knew where Darren might be."

"And?"

"She said he always went to make sure that the body was found."

(Scene Change) On the way to the Grocery store, they get a call from Sheriff Boggs, telling them that another body has been found. They pull up to the grocery store, where police cars and an ambulance take up a majority of the parking lot.

"Sheriff," Sam nodded as the three of them walked up to the scene. The body of a man was propped up against a light pole; his head resting on the ground beside him.

"Customer just found him. Same parking lot, different spot," The sheriff said. "Who are you?" He asked Mallory.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Forensics. Just flew in last night."

Sheriff Boggs didn't seem quite sold. "How old are you?"

"I'm old enough," she responded casually.

Mallory watched as the brothers talked to the police. She looked around to see if anyone stood out to her. Other than the police, there were only about a dozen civilians around.

"Spot anyone?" Sam asked behind her.

She gestured with her head towards a man standing beside his car a short distance away. "He looks way calmer than the other civilians here. Plus, he's the only one wearing a scarf. It's not that cold out and he'd want to cover bite marks. I'm putting my money on him."

"Impressive, Sherlock. We'll keep an eye on him the rest of day."

She kept a wary eye on him, waiting for him to move. The body was placed in the Coroner's van, and she saw the man give a slight smile and get back into his car.

"Guys," she said, getting their attention. They finished talking with Sheriff Boggs and made their way towards the Impala. Dean pulled out and kept a fair distance from Darren's car.

"Stalker mode engaged," Mallory said under her breath. "You guys are pretty good at this."

"Not our first rodeo sweetheart," Dean said. "...The psychotic vampire is new though."

(Scene Change) Now nighttime, the gang followed Darren all day. He is now leading them down a dirt road towards what they assume is the nest. The car stops in front of a large house and he hops out, wielding a knife. Mallory and the boys park behind a small grove of trees and went around to the back of the house.

"What's the game plan?" Sam asked.

Dean stopped short at the door. "Let's split and try to find him. Take out any vampire that you meet, but try not to kill Darren... Oh, and let's try not to die," the last part was directed more to Mallory.

"Not my first rodeo, sweetheart," She grinned and led the way into the house.

(Scene Change) Sam makes his way down a long set of stairs going down into the basement. He reaches the bottom, looking for any movement.

(Scene Change) Dean walks down a brightly lit hallway, silently checking the rooms. He pauses when he hears muffled screams in one of the rooms. He pushes on the door and finds Darren standing over a bloodied vampire tied to a chair. Darren turns towards him with a crazed look in his eyes.

(Scene Change) Mallory steps into a large dining room. The floorboards creak behind her and she turns to see three vampires slowly coming towards her. The burly one in the middle regards her with recognition.

"Ti si Branitelj (You're the defender)," He stated.

"Wow, no one's called me that in ages. I'm so flattered," Mallory smiled. "Did you know me back then?"

"I was a child when I was turned. I remember people whispering your name in the streets. They revered you. But you didn't rid all of Medvegja of the vampires. Some were smarter than Arnold. But after you left, others took your place, and those not killed had to flee."

"Well he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. You've been here awhile then. Did you turn Darren?"

"Doesn't matter who turned him. It's too late for him now."

(Scene Change)Meanwhile, Sam's weak flashlight barely lights the basement. He finds a light switch, but the bulb is burned out.

"Figures," he mumbled. A running force hit him from the side and he flew to the ground, his flashlight and knife skidding across the floor. The vampire set down on him, throwing punches. Sam kicked him off and they set off in a brawl. The vampire grabbed him by the shoulders, throwing him into an old washer.

(Scene Change) Dean held his knife out at Darren. "Come on, man. What are you doing?"

"Getting my revenge!" Darren yelled at Dean. "I need to find a cure... za majkom (for mother)" He whispered as he ran his finger along his knife. Suddenly, Darren sliced the knife into the vamp's neck, sending the head rolling underneath the bed. Dean watched in surprise as Darren then broke down into sobs.

(Scene Change) The three vampires come in closer to Mallory, but she holds a calm look on her face.

"I take it you know that the Serbian legend for the cure is a ruse?" She asked.

"Of course," the middle vampire answered.

"Why'd you turn Darren?"

"He was just a victim of circumstance. Going to the school was an easy place to pick off unexpecting kids."

"I see... well now that that's out of the way, I still have to kill you guys. Sorry."

"Hajde onda da igramo (let's dance then)."

(Scene Change) Sam and the vampire are still going at it, Sam desperately trying to either find his knife or something sharp to take the vamp out.

Sam spotted a thin metal sheet lying next to the dryer. He grabbed and swung, catching the vamp's face and sending him to the ground. Sam pounced on him, bringing the sheet down on his neck, spraying blood in every direction. He wailed down on him a couple of times for good measure. The vampire stopped flailing, his head now completely detached. Sam felt around for his knife, finally finding it and dashing upstairs.

"Mallory! Dean!" He followed the sound of commotion coming from a few rooms away. He turned into the dining room to see Mallory chopping off the head of the second vampire, one already dead. The burly one was angrily swinging at Mallory, trying to put up a fight, but she had the speed and agility of an experienced fighter, dodging his blows with ease. Sam stood in the doorway, afraid that he'd do more harm than good by going in to try and help. She swung upwards with the knife, cutting deeply into his arm. He growled in pain. She took the opportunity to land hard punches to his face, knocking him to the ground.

"What are you?" He slurred, blood coming out of his mouth.

"Sam branioca, ti kurvin sine (The defender, you son of a bitch)."

In one swift motion, she cut off his head. With his shirt, she wiped off the blade. Sam stared in horrified amazement at her. She turned to him, noticing the blood on his face and shirt.

"You good, dude?"

"Not as good as you, apparently. Where's Dean?"

"Dunno."

(Scene Change) Dean is still standing above Darren, unsure of what to do. The young man is still crying, holding his head in his hands.

Mallory and Sam raced up behind Dean. Dean turned to acknowledge them.

"He's been like this for a few minutes."

Mallory gingerly approached the weeping man. "Darren?"

Darren looked up at her, tears smearing the blood on his face.

"It's over," she said. "They're all dead."

"But I don't know which one turned me."

Dean approached him as well. "It doesn't matter. You can't be cured if you've already fed on a human."

"But I-" he started.

Mallory put her hand on his shoulder. " What you've been trying won't work. It's an old urban legend. You could kill a hundred vampires and it wouldn't fix you."

"I need to be fixed!" He cried. "I don't trust myself!" He broke down into hysterics, jabbering in Serbian.

"I'm sorry," Mallory tried to comfort him.

She stood up. "What do we do? He's fed before, he'll do it again."

"We can't just take him out. He was just trying to find a cure," Sam countered.

"No!" Darren composed himself and looked at them with resolve. "She's right. I've already fed on a human; I'm too dangerous. Do what you must."

The three shared a look. "I'll do it," Dean said. He walked towards Darren. The young man knelt on the ground. He looked at Mallory and said, "Tell my mother I'm sorry."

She nodded then looked away as Dean finished the job.

(Scene Change) The next morning, the boys are back at their motel, all fresh and clean again. They're standing outside by the Impala and Mallory's bike.

"Thanks again, Mal," Dean said.

"Woah, nicknames already. Buy a guy dinner once and he's already that comfy with you," she teased and Dean rolled his eyes. "It was my pleasure. I've been flying solo for a while now. It felt good to to be on a team."

"Well do yourself a favor and get a phone," Dean said. "Here," he handed her slip of paper with their numbers on it. "Let us know when you do."

She smiled. "Thanks guys."

Sam and Dean smiled and waved her off as she got on her bike and left.

(Scene Change) Dean and Sam are driving back to the bunker, Dean is singing along to the radio, Sam is sitting and in deep thought Sam mode. Dean finally notices.

"Dude, what is your deal?"

"What? Oh, it's nothing."

Dean laughed. "Quit lying. You suck at it. Does it have to do with Mallory again? She's cool, man. Why don't you trust her?"

"I don't know. She just seems, different. Like, she's super smart; she knew of the vampire legend before we had even thought of doing that sort of research, she found Lana and Darren. Heck, she spotted him pretty much as soon as we got to the crime scene."

"You're jealous."

"What?"

"Yeah, she's like Sam 2.0. Gotta say man, that's a little beneath you."

"Dean, I'm not jealous. You just like her because you guys are junkfood buddies."

"Whatever, grumpy gills."

Sam sighed, now frustrated. "She took out three vamps in the same time that I took out one. and she didn't have a trace of her own blood on her. It didn't look like they touched her."

Dean looked at him. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying... I don't think she's completely human."

"What?"

Sam pulled out his phone. "Look, she said something to the last vampire before she killed it. I only remember the first part, but it was something in Serbian."

"Really Sam?! What did she say, nerd?"

"She called herself the defender."

"Defender? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, but I did do some research last night- about Serbian vampire legends. There was a something about a "Defender of Medvegja". A woman who cleansed the town of vampires before she just disappeared."

"You're saying Mallory is a three hundred year old vampire slayer? That'd give Buffy a run for her money. Where's this article?"

"I'll pull it up." Sam found the article from last night and handed Dean the phone.

"Dude, this talks about a guy who defended the town. How many beers did you have last night?"

"Gimme that." Sam scrolled through the article, even checking the drawing at the bottom. It depicted a man now holding the vampire's head. "I swear this is not what it said last night!"

"I just think you're trying to find an excuse not to trust her."

Sam thrust the phone in his pocket and looked out the window, irritated. "Until I can prove otherwise, I don't."

Dean ignored him and turned the radio up.

(Scene Change)

Mallory sat at a café, looking at a laptop. The browser was open to a tab of Serbian legends. She touched the screen and the pixels warped for a moment before returning back to normal. She shut the laptop and put it away.

"I'm sorry, Sam."